Locking configuration

ABSTRACT

Locking configuration of an adapter ( 9 ) or a thrust element having a pullout guide ( 4 ), which is fastened on a furniture body ( 2 ) of a piece of furniture ( 1 ) in a household appliance, the pullout guide ( 4 ) having at least one guide rail ( 5 ), which is fastened on the furniture body ( 2 ) or in the household appliance, and a slide rail ( 7 ), which is movable in the guide rail ( 5 ), and the adapter ( 9 ), the thrust element, or the slide rail ( 7 ) having at least one receptacle opening ( 13 ), and the slide rail ( 7 ), the thrust element, or the adapter ( 9 ) having a hook ( 18 ), which is insertable in the receptacle opening ( 13 ), for locking the adapter ( 9 ) or the thrust element with the slide rail ( 7 ), the receptacle opening ( 13 ) being shaped so that the hook ( 18 ) is insertable transversely to the movement direction (X) of the slide rail ( 7 ) and is subsequently displaceable in the movement direction (X) of the slide rail ( 7 ) and at least one recess ( 15 ) being provided on the adapter ( 9 ), the thrust element, or the slide rail ( 7 ), and a detent lug ( 20 ), which is lockable in the recess ( 15 ), being provided on the slide rail ( 7 ), the thrust element, or the adapter ( 9 ), the recess ( 15 ) being positioned so that the detent lug ( 20 ) is first lockable in the recess ( 15 ) upon the displacement of the hook ( 18 ) in the movement direction (X) of the slide rail ( 7 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of priority to German PatentApplication No. 20 2009 011 106.7, filed Oct. 2, 2009, the contents ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a locking configuration, or lockingarrangement, of an adapter or a thrust element, or drawer, having apullout guide, which is fastened on a furniture body of a piece offurniture or in a household appliance, according to the preamble ofClaim 1 and a piece of furniture or a household appliance.

Various locking configurations, or locking arrangements, of an adapterhaving a pullout guide which is fastened on a furniture body of a pieceof furniture are known from the prior art. To lock the adapter, theadapter is provided with two tongues or hooks, for example, which arepluggable into tabs provided laterally on a slide rail of a pulloutguide and are subsequently held in this position using screws.

Such a locking configuration, or locking arrangement, has thedisadvantage that many work steps are required for installing theadapter on the slide rail, for which various tools must be used.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lockingconfiguration, or locking arrangement, of an adapter or a thrustelement, or drawer, having a pullout guide, which is fastened on afurniture body of a piece of furniture or in a household appliance,which allows a simplified installation of the locking of the adapter orthe thrust element, or drawer, with the pullout guide.

This object is achieved by a locking configuration, or lockingarrangement, having the features of Claim 1.

According to the invention, the receptacle opening into which the hookis insertable is shaped so that the hook is insertable transversely tothe movement direction of the slide rail and is subsequentlydisplaceable in the movement direction of the slide rail. Through theinsertion of the hook into the slot of the receptacle opening, alift-out safety is achieved for the adapter or the thrust element, ordrawer, in the transverse direction to the pullout direction.Furthermore, at least one recess is provided on the adapter, the thrustelement, or drawer, or the slide rail, and a detent lug which islockable in the recess is provided on the slide rail, the thrustelement, or drawer, or the adapter, the recess being positioned so thatthe detent lug is first lockable in the recess wherein the hook isdisplaced in the movement direction of the slide rail. On the one hand,tool-free installation of the adapter on the pullout guide is madepossible using such a locking configuration, or locking arrangement,according to the invention. The locking of the adapter with the sliderail by the detent lug additionally ensures secure locking, which cannotbe detached by the end-user, of the adapter or the thrust element, ordrawer, with the slide rail. Furthermore, through the fixing with theaid of the detent lug, fewer components are also required for installingthe adapter or the thrust element, or drawer, on the pullout guide andtherefore also fewer work steps.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter ofsubclaims.

According to an advantageous embodiment variant of the lockingconfiguration, or locking arrangement, the adapter is implemented as anL-shaped bent part which is bent over in the longitudinal direction, afirst leg of the adapter being lockable on the slide rail and detentmeans being provided on a second leg for locking a front panel.Tool-free installation of the front panel on the adapter is thus alsomade possible. The installation of the front panel on the adapter can beperformed before or after the installation of the adapter on the pulloutguide.

According to a further embodiment variant, a holding web for holding acontainer is shaped on the adapter along a lower longitudinal edge.Using such a holding web, a container can be held removably between twopullout guides which are situated parallel to one another, for example,on the side walls of the furniture body.

In an advantageous embodiment variant, the receptacle openings areshaped so that the hooks are fixable in receptacle openingsperpendicularly to the sliding direction of the slide rail. Through thefixing of the adapter using the detent lug in the sliding direction ofthe slide rail, fixing of the hooks in the receptacle openingsperpendicularly to the sliding direction of the slide rail is alsoensured by the receptacle openings shaped in this manner.

The thrust element, or drawer, is preferably manufactured from sheetmetal.

Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from thefollowing descriptions when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematic perspective views of a piece of furniture,which is provided with an embodiment variant of a locking configuration,or locking arrangement, according to the invention, in various views.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show schematic perspective views of an embodiment variantof an adapter of the locking configuration, or locking arrangement,according to the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of a slide rail to be lockedwith the adapter of FIGS. 3 and 4, according to the invention.

FIGS. 6 a to c show multiple side views of an embodiment variant of thelocking configuration, or locking arrangement, in various installationpositions to illustrate the installation procedure, according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 refers to a piece of furniturehaving a furniture body 2, in which two pullout guides 4 are fastened,on which a movable furniture part, for example, in the form of a draweror a container 8 and a front panel 3, is situated. The piece offurniture 1 can be implemented as living room furniture, officefurniture, kitchen furniture, or also as a household appliance, inparticular as a refrigerator or freezer. The pullout guide 4 preferablycomprises a guide rail 5, which is fastened on an inner side of thefurniture body 2, and a slide rail 7, which is movable in the guide rail5. At least one pullout-lengthening middle rail 6 can be situatedbetween the guide rail 5 and the slide rail 7. The pullout guide 4 ispreferably implemented as a roller body pullout.

An embodiment variant of the slide rail 7, which is situated on theadapter 9, is shown in detail in FIG. 5. The slide rail 7 essentiallycomprises a flat plate 23 having bent-over longitudinal side edges,whose outer sides are enclosed by the inner sides of bent-over edges ofthe middle rail 6 and between which a ball bearing (not shown) isreceived. Hooks 18 are shaped onto the flat plate 23, which are shapedso that they initially protrude from the flat plate 23 by approximatelyone adapter plate thickness from the side of the flat plate 23 facingaway from the guide rail and are then bent over parallel to the flatplate 23. An end section 19 of the hook 18 is bent over away from theflat plate 23 from the part of the hook 18 running parallel to the flatplate 23. To couple the slide rail 7 to the middle rail 6 or the guiderail 5, a detent hook 21 is raised from the side of the flat plate 23facing toward the guide rail 5.

Furthermore, a detent lug 20 protrudes from the side of the flat plate23 facing away from the guide rail. The hook 18 and the detent lug 20are used for fixing the adapter 9, which is shown in variousperspectives in FIGS. 3 and 4. This adapter 9 is implemented in theembodiment variant shown here as an L-shaped bent part which is bentover in the longitudinal direction, a first leg 10 of the adapter 9being lockable on the slide rail 7 and detent means 17 being provided onthe second leg 11 for locking with the front panel 3, which is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.

Receptacle openings 13 are implemented on the adapter 9 to receive thehooks 18, which are situated at the same distance to one another as tohooks 18 on the slide rail 7. The implementation of only one hook 18 onthe slide rail 7 and one receptacle opening 13 on the adapter 9 is alsofundamentally conceivable. It is also conceivable that the hooks 18 areimplemented on the adapter 9 or the thrust element, or drawer, and thereceptacle openings 13 are implemented on the slide rail 7.

The receptacle openings 13 are shaped so that the hook 18 is insertabletransversely to the movement direction X of the slide rail 7 and issubsequently displaceable in the movement direction X of the slide rail7.

Furthermore, at least one recess 15 is provided on the adapter 9, inwhich the detent lug 20 on the slide rail 7 can engage during theinstallation of the adapter 9 on the slide rail 7. The distance of therecess 15 from one of the receptacle openings 13 is dimensioned so thatthe detent lug 20 can first be engaged in the recess 15 during thedisplacement of the hook 18 in the movement direction X of the sliderail 7. In order to allow this, the receptacle opening 13 is preferablyimplemented as a rectangular recess, in which a slot 14, which extendsin the upper edge area in the movement direction X of the slide rail 7,opens. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 6 a to c, the adapter 9 can first bepushed from above onto the hook 18 of the slide rail 7 (FIGS. 6 a and 6b) and subsequently, by pulling on the adapter 9 in the pulloutdirection or by pulling on the front panel 3, which is already connectedto the adapter 9, the hook 18 can be inserted into the slot 14, as shownin FIG. 6 c. As is also shown in FIGS. 6 b and 6 c, the detent lug 20 isfirst locked in the recess 15 in the position shown in FIG. 6 c, i.e.,when the hook 18 is inserted into the slot 14 of the receptacle opening13.

The front panel 3 can be locked with the adapter 9 via detent means 17,which are shaped on the second leg 11 of the adapter 9. Optionally, oneor more holes 16 for receiving a screw, a dowel, or the like can beimplemented on the second leg 11, in order to additionally fix the frontpanel 3 on the adapter 9 by screw connections, for example.

The embodiment variant of the adapter 9 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 furtherhas a holding web 12 for holding a container 8, for example, along alower longitudinal edge. To fix this container 8 on the end of theadapter 9 diametrically opposite to the front panel 3, the adapter 9 ispreferably also implemented having a holding surface 22 there, so thatthe container 8 is securely fixable by the holding surface 22 and theholding web 12.

The receptacle openings 13 shown here may also be implemented as pocketsin a further embodiment variant (not shown). It is important that in thedesign of the above-described locking configuration, or lockingarrangement, tool-free installation of the adapter 9 on the slide rail 7is made possible and because of the design of the hooks 18, thereceptacle openings 13, and the positioning of the detent lug 20 and therecess 15 which receives the detent lug 20, secure fixing of the adapter9 on the slide rail 7 is ensured, which can only be disengaged again byan end user with great application of force and the risk of destroyingthe locking configuration, or locking arrangement.

Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated indetail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way ofillustration and example only and is not to be taken by way oflimitation. The scope of the present disclosure is to be limited only bythe terms of the appended claims.

1. A locking arrangement of an adapter or a thrust element having apullout guide, which is fastened on a furniture body of a piece offurniture or in a household appliance, the pullout guide having at leastone guide rail, which is fastened on the furniture body or in thehousehold appliance, and one slide rail, which is movable in the guiderail and the adapter, the thrust element, or the slide rail having atleast one receptacle opening, and the slide rail, the thrust element, orthe adapter having a hook, which is insertable into the receptacleopening, for locking the adapter or the thrust element with the sliderail, characterized in that the receptacle opening is shaped so that thehook is insertable transversely to the movement direction of the sliderail and is subsequently displaceable in the movement direction of theslide rail and at least one recess is provided on the adapter, thethrust element, or the slide rail, and a detent lug, which is lockablein the recess, is provided on the slide rail, the thrust element or theadapter, the recess being positioned so that the detent lug is firstlockable in the recess during the displacement of the hook in themovement direction of the slide rail.
 2. The locking arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter is implementedas an L-shaped bent part, which is bent over in the longitudinaldirection, a first leg of the adapter being lockable on the slide railand detent means for locking with a front panel being provided on asecond leg.
 3. The locking arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that a holding web for holding a container is shaped onthe adapter along a lower longitudinal edge.
 4. The locking arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterized in that two receptacle openings areimplemented on the adapter or the thrust element, or drawer, and twohooks, which are insertable into the receptacle openings, areimplemented on the slide rail.
 5. The locking arrangement according toclaim 1, characterized in that the receptacle openings are implementedas recesses.
 6. The locking arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that the receptacle openings are implemented aspockets.
 7. The locking arrangement according to claim 1, characterizedin that the receptacle openings are shaped so that the hooks are fixablein a formfitting manner in the receptacle openings perpendicularly tothe movement direction of the slide rail.
 8. The locking arrangementaccording to claim 7, characterized in that the receptacle openings areimplemented as rectangular recesses, in which a slot, which extends inthe movement direction of the slide rail in an upper edge area, opens.9. The locking arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in thatat least one hole for receiving a screw, a dowel, or the like foradditional fixing of the front panel is provided on the second leg. 10.A piece of furniture, in particular kitchen furniture, or a householdappliance having a furniture body and a pullout guide, which is fastenedon the furniture body, for mounting a furniture part, which can bepulled out of the furniture body, in particular a drawer, characterizedby the locking arrangement according to claim 1.